Gallery: The best of Le Mans in the 1980s

It’s safe to say that the 24 Hours of Le Mans was dominated by Porsche in the 1980s. The German marque won every race between 1981 and 1987 inclusive, with the 956 and 962C striking particular fear into the hearts of their rivals. There were however, exceptions – Jean Rondeau’s Ford Cosworth took the honors in 1980, as did the legendary Silk-Cut Jaguar XJR12 in 1988, whilst Jochen Mass and co did the deed for Sauber in 1989.

This is the latest in our series of photo specials showcasing the stunning images from the Cahier Archive. The collection, by photographers Bernard Cahier and his son Paul-Henri are part of a massive collection of 400 000 originals of which 17 000+ pictures are currently available on their website.